Let Me Fix You
by estonem
Summary: Jesse & Quinn go for coffee, a one-shot story.


Quinn Fabray stood in line at The Lima Bean waiting for it to be her turn to order her most favorite drink on Earth, a vanilla latte with sprinkles of cinnamon on top. Her day had school had not been a great one, starting with her getting passed over for a solo in glee club and then ending with spotting Puckerman macking with Shelby in her classroom. She wasn't supposed to be at school when she saw it but she had forgotten a textbook in her locker and then stumbled upon the scene. It was the reason why Puck had decided not to help her get custody, why she had no second witness to her claims of Shelby being a bad mother. He didn't need her to be a father to Beth because he was hooking up with her adoptive mother, and it was just one more chance she had to watch her life fall apart. Without him she had no case, she had to settle for being a part of Beth's life instead of getting to be her whole life.

The mental image of Puck and Shelby was permanently embedded in her mind and she stared blankly ahead of her, wishing that line would move faster so that she could just get at least one enjoyable thing out of this day.

"Well if it isn't Grace Kelly herself."

Quinn snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look behind her, realizing that Jesse St. James had just stepped into the small coffee shop. She had not seen him since New York when he came to sweep Rachel off her feet, except Finn had already beat him to the job. At least she wasn't the only losing in life.

"Jesse, hi. What are you doing in Lima?"

"I heard Shelby was teaching at McKinley so I went by to see her." Jesse took a few steps forward and stood next to her in line, ignoring the glare from the woman waiting behind Quinn. "I'm coaching Vocal Adrenaline this year and I wanted to get a few pointers. You are looking as lovely as ever, Quinn."

"Oh, well thank-"

"Tired and a little run down, but still lovely."

Quinn arched an eyebrow, holding back a snide remark as she shook her head and looked away from him. She stepped forward to the register and ordered her coffee drink then took her wallet from her bag.

"And a soy, Chai latte for me please. Easy on the foam, and add some of that cinnamon powder on top." Jesse reached over and put his hand on Quinn's. "No, I've got this. But you have to stay and chat with me for a little while."

"You don't have to buy my coffee, I have to get home…" She watched as he handed the cashier and sighed, maybe the company wouldn't be so bad. She could use the distraction from everything going on in her life.

"Shelby showed me a picture of Beth, she looks like you."

_So much for that._

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling me, she looks just like her mother."

"You don't sound pleased about that."

They walked together and picked up their coffees, then moved to sit at a small table near the back, away from prying eyes and unwanted attention. It was just them in their own little world.

"Didn't you get the memo? I'm not her mother anymore. Puck gets to play daddy and I'm the visiting cousin that gets to ooh and awe but I'm not included in the family portrait."

It was odd for Quinn to be speaking so openly about something so close to her with a stranger, someone that had never really attempted to befriend her and rarely spoke to her unless it was to anger Finn. And yet here she was, admitting for the first time feelings that she had barely admitted to herself. But there he was, sitting across from her and for the first time she saw a pair of eyes looking back at her that cared what she had to say. It had been so long since someone looked at her that way, and even though they had never shared an intimate moment, she couldn't stop herself from sharing the things she had held inside for so long. So she continued.

"Beth is perfect, you can see that in a photo. She is a perfect little girl and when she laughs, it sounds like a melody. Her eyes sparkle when she looks at you, and in that moment you feel as if there is nothing more beautiful in the world then that tiny girl. And you want to protect her, to keep her safe from all the evil that wants to hurt her. But I can't, because I gave up on that perfect thing. Because I was scared, of screwing it up, just like everything else I touch…"

Quinn glanced up at the ceiling to stop the tears that were threatening to spill. She wouldn't cry in front of him, it wouldn't change anything. Beth would never be hers and even if she went on to have more children, they would never be _her_.

"Who broke you, Quinn Fabray?"

Her eyes narrowed as she looked across the table at the older boy, a slight look of confusion spreading across her face.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about whatever it is that ruined that girl I met two years ago." Jesse sipped on his latte then set the cup down on the table between them, his eyes staying on hers. "Why can I look at you and see such a broken girl, but it feels like I'm the first to see you this way. What's keeping you from fighting to be happy?"

"You don't think I try? I've been trying since it all started. I changed everything about myself to be the cute girl that everyone would be jealous of, but it turned me into a bitch. I played house with Puck but he didn't love me like he said he did, he loved the idea of being the man his father never was. I tried to be popular, to go back to everything that I used to love, but in the end it worthless. A Cheerios outfit and the quarterback took more effort to hold onto, they didn't make me happy. Then I stopped caring, hoping that if I was numb it wouldn't hurt me. I gave up everything and yet I was still miserable. Now the one thing that was ever mine belongs to someone else and I can't do anything about. I have to sit back and watch as my one chance at being great is taken by someone else. So tell me again that I don't try to be happy, I dare you."

Her voice was low and harsh, her eyes daring Jesse to actually ask her that question again. But his response was different then the one Quinn expected. His hand reached out and touched hers; she didn't pull away as she looked down to see the touch.

"Let me fix you."

Quinn looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks that she didn't bother to wipe away. He wasn't asking and he wasn't demanding, he was doing what no one had done for her. Not her friends. Not her family. No one. She focused her eyes on his, green eyes looking into a matching pair of green ones.

"Okay."


End file.
